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Ayotte’s focus Tuesday was squarely on the Granite State. While she mentioned foreign policy, Ayotte spent more time talking about her plans to expand veterans’ access to health care and tackle the state’s substance abuse problem. Despite a national sentiment of gridlock in Washington, Ayotte painted herself as largely outside the fray. “Every morning when I wake up, it’s you I’m fighting for,” she said. “To make sure your voice is heard and to bring New Hampshire common sense to the United ...

Tuesday morning Ayotte’s campaign released a web video in which she touted herself as a “commonsense” bipartisan leader in Congress. The senator continued that description in her interview with NH1 News, saying “I live in New Hampshire. I commute to Washington. I do town halls in our state. I listen to the people of New Hampshire and my record speaks for itself. I am one of the most bipartisan senators in the United States Senate by independent groups that have looked at this issue and looked at...

As she vies for another six years, she insists the fire is still there. "I know I wake up every day with a sense of purpose, to make a difference in Washington and really to bring New Hampshire common sense to Washington,” said Ayotte. In a city that many voters feel is broken and toxic, Ayotte can lay claim to being named one of the senate’s most bipartisan lawmakers. "You have to work across the aisle if you want to get things done. And that's why I’ve done that because if you want to get ...

“I think this is a really good bill to make sure that pregnant women can continue to work during their pregnancy,” Ayotte said in a phone interview. Ayotte said she was six months pregnant when first appointed attorney general in New Hampshire. “I worked throughout my pregnancy,” Ayotte recalled. “It makes sense that we update our laws.”

Citing privacy concerns, the IRS has steadfastly refused to turn over the fake tax returns to victims so they might be able to better determine what information was stolen from them. The result was an agency that appeared to value the privacy of criminals at the expense of victims who were just trying to piece their lives back together. Now, however, in what can only be considered a victory for the little guy, the agency has done an about face, thanks to New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte. ...

Because of Ayotte's prodding, fraudulent returns will be made available to victims and victims will be notified if false returns are filed in their name. (It might also have had something to do with Ayotte filing legislation to force the IRS to make the disclosures.) This is no small matter. The IRS acknowledged only last week that identity thieves had recently accessed the files of 104,000 tax filers and attempted to obtain information from another 100,000. The IRS helped 875,000 victims of ...

The U.S. Senate has passed legislation that makes sure death benefits paid to families of public safety officer who are killed in the line of duty are not subject to federal income tax. U.S. Sens. Kelly Ayotte and Jeanne Shaheen introduced the bill and say it's now headed to the president for his signature. Federal survivor benefits are not subject to federal taxation but Ayotte's office says New Hampshire law enforcement personnel were concerned about an ambiguity in the law regarding the tax ...

Charlestown — U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., long an opponent of the Affordable Care Act, said Monday she is optimistic about prospects for amendments to improve it in the Republican-controlled Congress this year.
During a town hall-style meeting at the Charlestown Veterans of Foreign Wars post, Ayotte told a 30-person crowd that there are some changes to the health care law that President Obama is likely to veto, but there are others that would be of “bipartisan concern.”
The first-term senator, who is up for re-election in 2016, said she would support changes, such as altering the definition of a full-time employee from one who works 30 hours per week to one who works 40 hours per week, expanding the network of health care providers where insurance bought on New Hampshire’s exchange might be applied and reducing a tax on medical devices that she said would affect businesses such as Smith Medical in Keene, N.H.
She said she hopes that she, along with the new Republican majority in the Senate, can play a role in making such changes.
“If there’s a problem I can solve, I will,” she said.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has embarked on a destructive course harmful to the prospects for rebuilding Gaza and achieving Israeli-Palestinian peace. Three weeks ago at the United Nations, Abbas slandered Israel and undermined the true interests of the Palestinian people. If Abbas wants peace and an independent, viable Palestinian state—and if he wants American support in the future—he must reverse course and return to direct negotiations with Israel.